Holiday Hustle

I read something the other day off of a fellow triathlete's facebook status. It went something like "The best way to lose weight around the holidays is to surround yourself with family." I wasn't quite sure where he was going with this, so I read on. He then explained that the combination of chaos of being around so many people that want to play this game or talk about that sport will make you want nothing more than to find a quick escape route, which for most triathletes will be to the gym. I couldn't help but laugh because I can definitely relate. This was the first Christmas Eve I had to work. Strange concept, working on holidays, apparently this is a "big kid job" thing. Anyways, I had planned on staying at my place in the city and just driving in the next morning for breakfast and presents at my dad's. That all went to hell though when my sister called me up and demanded my presence at dinner that night. And let me tell you, she may be 3 years younger and a whole foot shorter than me (ok maybe not that much but she is tiny) but when she makes a demand I am too afraid of the wrath, that is her bad attitude, that follows. So I did absolutely nothing productive at work from 9 to 3 and then took the train back to my place.

As I started packing up my things I soon realized that I was going back to my dad's with four bags. Mind you, I would be there for about 24 hours, yet I had a bag for my "nice clothes", a bag for workout clothes and a bag with my computer/work stuff in it.....along with a lunch bag filled with veggie/vegan friendly food because as my father recently quotes, in a meat-eaters house hold "ain't nobody got time for that!" So I leave my place, looking like I'm moving out (and I assure you this happens every time I go out by him, I transition into this nomad of sorts).

Dinner was of course a high class ordeal, with KFC chicken, pasta (my sister called me before hand to let me know it wouldn't have meat in it, what a doll!), jello, potatoes and pizza bites. We keep it classy in the Matiya house hold. But it was also the first time all four of us were able to sit down for a meal together in months....and of course there was food thrown, names called and dad chiming in with "knock it off!" only to be followed by all of us busting out in a fit of laughter.

After dinner we all dissolved into separate activites, and I found this to be the perfect opportunity to get out of the house for a while and go for a run. I was excited because I knew all the lights would be out across the town and figured it would be a good calorie burn. Running at night in the suburbs is quickly becoming a new favorite activity for me, mostly because it's quiet and calming. I was gone for probably an hour and a half, before calling it a night, knowing full well I'd be out the next day.

Christmas morning is always the same for us, we all get up and sit around opening each other's gifts. There's usually several comments about how awful my wrapping of presents is and my dad always gives all three of us a puzzle box with $100 in it.....but the damn thing is impossible to open....so he just sits back and watches us all fumble with it for a good 15 minutes before we give up and decide it's better to save the money anyways :) Once that's all said and done we usually eat some calorie dense cinnamon buns and eggs, om nom nom! I had a good 3 hours before I had to go over to my grams, so I decided, again right after eating, to go for a run. But I was even more motivated today because, for one it's Christmas, and two, IT WAS SNOWING!!! So I grabbed my warm clothes, layered up more than Randy from the Christmas Story (I think that's a cultural joke) and hit the bike path. There is something unexplainable about a fresh layer of snow down on the ground and your foot prints being the first to hit it.

I was gone a little bit longer than I should have, since after I got out of the shower everyone had already left for my grandparents. Whoops! Hey a girl's got priorities to fulfill! Either way,  I took some time to stretch out and use my tiger tail roller because after two days of almost 2 hour runs my knee was starting to act up and my muscles were tight. But I thought to myself, running is such a huge part of my life, even over the holidays. True it is a good break from the family, and it is a necessity worthy of a whole bag of clothes brought with, but the feeling, the release, is more than can be packed in a bag and more than getting out of doing the Christmas dinner dishes :)